Chapter 172
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Ming Mei
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Normally, if a wife who's been stuck at home doing housework suddenly steps out, you'd have every reason to suspect something's up, right? Kingly suspicions!
But it looks like I was barking up the wrong tree.
"Reina has to go to school here, doesn't she? You always said this world runs on credentials and degrees."
Ah, Reina. School.
"Yeah, you're right."
Korea had loosened up on the credential society after the Great Cataclysm, but having some education still kept you from getting stepped on.
Besides, it was about time Reina started making friends her age.
I'd pull out every tail to stop her from chasing after males, but if she wanted to hang out with females like me? I'd welcome it with open arms.
Maybe one day she'd even share her own female with me?
In that case, males were pointless.
"Tell her to get chummy with the girls, if possible."
"Make her just like you?"
"Yep."
"Then our line ends right there!"
I doubted it. What I couldn't forgive was some male's seed entering Reina's womb.
"There's Reina too. If she inherited my blood, she could have kids the same way, right? The problem's Magnut."
"Magnut?"
Magnut had been playing nice with Reina lately. The issue was, unlike her, human transformation was a struggle for Magnut.
"Looks like I made him back in the day and left him there."
"So you really did abandon him, huh?"
No, it wasn't on purpose.
"The old me made him, but I don't remember it."
"You're awful."
"No, really."
Somehow I'd recovered all my old memories, except for anything about Magnut.
I was definitely that version of myself from back then, though.
"But hasn't Magnut grown enough by now? And the humanization..."
"Yeah. That's the problem too. Magnut only has my blood, so it won't be easy."
Back then, I could humanize from dragon form, but Magnut never could.
Maybe because I made him right before dying, and something was lacking.
"I'll check with magic... Hmm. Hold on."
"What?"
"Reina turned human after eating that yellow dragon meat, remember?"
Right. That's how it happened. Cannibalized my own kind. Thanks to that, Reina could transform perfectly into a human.
"You have any left?"
"There's some near the head still."
"What if we fed him that?"
Dragon head soup or something? Now I wanted to try it too.
Dragon meat must be that good for you.
"It's frozen, so digging it out'll take time. I'll pull the head tomorrow morning and give it a shot."
"Got it. Then I'm off to tail that Sins bitch."
"Yeah, go ahead."
Her total lack of interest stung a bit.
Beijing
After the Northwest Warlord reclaimed Beijing, their flag flew over the city.
In the devastated Beijing, scarred by battles with monsters, the commander's office in the old Beijing Warlord headquarters—still somewhat intact—now belonged to Ming Mei, the Northwest Warlord's hero and leader.
Having struggled with funding until recently receiving aid from the West, Ming Mei was finally easing her woes. Now, she racked her brain over troop deployments for future monster subjugations.
At that moment, a black vortex swirled before Ming Mei, and a figure emerged—cloaked in a black hood and cape, hiding their identity.
"General Ming Mei."
"Who the hell are you?"
Ming Mei eyed the eerie intruder up and down cautiously.
No hostility, but unsettling as hell.
The way they were bundled in that cape screamed failed disguise—like a scared puppy that couldn't hide its fear.
And that voice, almost mechanical. How could anyone be this off-putting?
"Just someone who wants to offer you a little help."
"Help?"
What was this? Help? On second thought, maybe they knew the Northwest's desperation and came to pull some shady scheme.
"Cooperate with us, and we'll provide the economic foundation for you to rise from Beijing."
Sounded tempting on the surface. But at that devilish voice, Ming Mei smirked.
"Us? And why should I trust strangers?"
"Simple. Sneak troops to the gates in the Northeast Three Provinces and bomb them."
"Bomb them? You mean trigger gate outbreaks?"
Attacking gate entrances from outside sometimes caused anomalies.
Were they seriously asking for that?
How much had the world suffered from gate outbreaks already? Monsters overflowed because of it, putting the Northwest in this mess.
This creep wasn't worth another word.
"Yes. Simple, right? Korea swallowing the Northeast Three Provinces whole can't sit well with you either."
"So because it bugs me, I should pull a petty terror act on what Korea rightfully won as victor?"
Ridiculous.
Besides, Ming Mei wasn't even bothered by Korea taking the Northeast.
The tumor-like old Beijing Warlord had self-destructed in their war with Korea.
"Above all, partnering with us would lift the Northwest from its funding woes, wouldn't it?"
"No matter how dire things are, you think I'd team up with some nameless terror outfit?"
No matter the hardship, she couldn't join hands with filthy unknowns.
"Regrettable, but we're not a terror group."
"You lot scheming world conquest? That's the definition of terrorists. And you want me to be your lapdog?"
Ming Mei thrust her gloved right hand toward the mystery figure, then twisted and flipped it. The caped body flipped like it was gripped in her hand, slamming into the floor.
"Guhk?!"
"From that pathetic display, your 'Sins' are just cartoon villains—nothing more, nothing less. How dare you look at me with those eyes?"
As Ming Mei slowly clenched her fist, the figure writhed on the floor in agony, limbs twisting unnaturally.
"If you do th—huff—grk."
Crunch!
The figure twisted for a while before finally bursting.
Ming Mei grimaced at the exploded freak.
'Not human?'
No blood spray, no mangled flesh. Black ash scattered into the air, and the freak dissolved into a pile of soot.
Soon after, the commotion drew Xue Li—who'd recently returned to the cleanup unit—into the office.
"General! What happened?!"
"Hmph. A coward who won't even show their true face dares slink into Beijing? Xue Li, you were right."
To persuade or negotiate, they should've come in person. Cowards. They wouldn't move themselves but demanded terror from the Northwest.
"Heh. Eun-ha was spot on."
"No matter how broke we are, we can't join hands with evil scum. Xue Li, nice work building ties with Yoo Eun-ha."
Ming Mei smiled in satisfaction.
"Uh, so then."
"I thought she was just some arrogant powerhouse from her streams, but she lives up to 'White Flame Sword Princess.' She tipped us off about Sins probably because she worried I'd cave and turn against Korea."
I'd pegged her as a hot-headed kid swinging her strength around, but she had a broad view of the world. Despite the suspicion phase, she didn't blast Sins to the international community—instead, just to the Northwest.
"Yes."
"And Cheonsan Group. Didn't they skyrocket with the Mars terraforming? Yoo Eun-ha's linking us with Cheonsan?"
Yoo Eun-ha didn't just warn about Sins.
She offered to connect Cheonsan for investments to stabilize the Northwest in Beijing.
Cheonsan was a global hotshot now. If it panned out, Beijing's situation would improve big time.
They could even check Nanjing.
"Yes."
"You want to install a portal in Songdo and stay there?"
"Yes. Of course. I'll serve as the Northwest's proud hunter by day, but nights work too."
Ming Mei stared into Xue Li's eyes.
Since Shenyang, Xue Li seemed more relaxed than before.
She'd been all about winning the monster war no matter what. Now, she eyed other desires.
"Go ahead."
"Pardon?"
"I've been working you too hard. Once we stabilize a bit, I planned to cut you some slack anyway."
She was a fresh twenty-year-old in her prime. Unlike other girls her age, no friends, no clue about dolling up, knew nothing beyond fighting monsters. Her network? Just subordinates.
'Not a bad idea. And Yoo Eun-ha, who's fought in wars, isn't some naive kid. Huge influence in Korea. Korea's tight with the West and borders the Northeast Three—solid connection.'
For Xue Li to live as a young woman, and for Northwest gains, ties to Korea were good.
Whatever the angle, Cheonsan's support alone was worthwhile. No reason to deny Xue Li's request.
"Really?"
"Yes. You reclaimed Beijing and drove monsters back to the plains. We've got breathing room. Go. I'll notify the Korean Hunter Association so you can head to Seoul."
"Thank you!"
Xue Li beamed.
Nanjing was raising hunters around public security too.
War with them loomed someday. But she didn't want to teach Xue Li that war was the whole world forever.
Everyone's idol, the adorable little dragon Yong-yong, shrank back down.
And I'd marked the coordinates using Kate.
Swing by in the morning, head back around 4 PM, pop in and out to harass that bitch a bit.
Back at the mansion, I casually slipped into the Greed room. Greed Johanna spotted me and lunged, hugging tight.
"Eh? Ryu-k, where've you been? I looked everywhere!"
"Kyurung? (So you missed me?)"
I batted my eyes sparklingly.
This was her weakness.
A fool who loved dragons. So I dialed up the pitiful-cute face, and she blushed.
"Ryu-k... Don't look at me like that... Eek. Haa, sorry for getting mad."
"Kyuriririt kyurung! (Then gimme titty!)"
Those irresistible tits—I'd suck 'em dry. Wrap her up in a week and make her taste humiliation.
I dove into Johanna's ample bosom.
So soft and fluffy. Sucking was divine.
Did she spray perfume just for me? That female scent got me fired up.
"Hii?! W-wait! S-stop! Even if you miss Mommy, this is..."
"Kyurung? (Don't like?)"
I peeked up just enough to ask, and Johanna mumbled, mouth flapping.
"Ch-cheater! Those eyes only when you want this! And with that huge explosion out of nowhere, I'm already in a bad mood!"
"Kyurung."
"O-okay! B-but it's broad daylight."
Broad daylight? So what? No law saying this has to wait for night, right?